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10 Things Every College Student Should Do Before Graduating

You were sent off to college to gain a little knowledge, but there are a lot of other awesome opportunities to take advantage of! Whether you are counting down the days until graduation or signing up for a minor to avoid ever seeing the day, be sure to make the most out of your college experience with these must-do activities:

Join a Campus Club: College is about trying new things and figuring out what interests you! Joining a club or school organization is a great way to meet new friends and test the waters of some hobbies you may never have had the chance to try before. Not sure what club to join? How about the Happiness Club at Northwestern, the Rock Paper Scissors Club at University of Kentucky, Hammock Club at University of Florida, or the Free Compliments Club at Tufts. See the full list here.

Get an Internship or Job: Working part time, either during the school year or on summer break will give you the real- life experience you need to land a full time job after graduation. Some positions will also give you some extra spending money and may even count for class credits! For those looking to gain firsthand marketing experience, consider applying to the Margaritaville University College Ambassador Program at MargaritavilleUniversity.com.

Create a Resume: After checking a job or internship off your list, recap what you learned in a resume. You’ll need a resume when applying for other internships and full time jobs, plus recapping your experience will help you appreciate all the skills you’ve gained! Using an online resume builder makes the process quick and easy. Remember that club we told you to join? Throw that involvement on your resume too!

Travel Somewhere New: College may be the last time in your life that you’ll have tons of free time until retirement. Use this time wisely by exploring some new places! Whether you study abroad in Europe, intern in China for the summer or lay on a tropical beach at a Margaritaville Resort for spring break, cherish the opportunity to travel the world! If your schedule and budget are currently obstructing your dreams of going to Paris, check out some affordable and timely options that can cure your travel bug.

Volunteer: One of the best things you can learn in college is the gift of giving. Find a local animal shelter, school or soup kitchen and help to improve your local community! The opportunities to help are endless, they’ll look great on your resume and you’ll feel great for doing it!

Live with a Roommate: Living with a roomie, especially your freshman year in the dorms, comes with a ton of benefits! Make new friends, go to the gym together, have a live-in study buddy, never walk to the dining hall alone, pay less for rent, and always have someone to wake you up for class in case you sleep through that 8AM alarm.

Attend a School Sports Event: You can show off your school spirit by rooting for your favorite sport. Be sure to throw on your school’s colors, learn the cheers that go along with the game, and celebrate all the people who represent your school (even if your team’s record is 0-13). Oh, and tailgating before the game is always a good time too.

Go to a Concert or Festival: Dance and sing to the music of your favorite artist or small town band. You’ll never listen to a song the same after hearing it live… the good times will fill your memory up over and over again! Our favorite musician will be going on tour in just a couple weeks!

Pull an All-nighter: Whether with your roomies, on the dance floor or cramming in the library, staying up until the sun rises is something that won’t happen very often after college. Plus, you can always take a nap the next day.

Learn to Cook One Great Meal: Ramen and granola bars aren’t going to cut it for forever. Teach yourself to make one meal that you love and learn to perfect it every time! In Margaritaville, we like to add a tropical twist to our favorite recipes and are sharing them all with you in the Margaritaville Cookbook!

College is a time for great friendships, new interests, many long nights and, of course, growing older but not up. What is on your college bucket list? Let us know on Instagram and Twitter by tagging #MargU.